In February, Liverpool were slain in an FA Cup giant-killing by Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle.
Less than two weeks earlier, PSV Eindhoven ended Arne Slot’s flawless record in the Champions League at the Anfield helm, though it mattered not as the Reds still took the group phase crown.
What did the two defeats have in common? Rotation, and plenty of it. It’s ostensibly these games that have consigned many of Liverpool’s bit-part players to even ittier-bittier roles. Slot has enjoyed an incredible start to life in the hot seat, but an obstinance in making minimal alterations could be identified as a weakness of his to be sure.
With Federico Chiesa, an injury-prone forward who was basically discarded by Juventus, the only first-team arrival since August 2024, the Merseysiders need surgery this summer, not least because the three most influential stars are all entering the final few months of their contracts.
It’s been reported that Liverpool are to target new defenders in central and left-sided berths. However, Liverpool need to clean the slate up front.
Liverpool's problems up front
And there are problems.
Though each of Liverpool’s forwards have their qualities, Mohamed Salah, 32, is the only member whose goals and assists have rained down invariably throughout the course of the campaign.
Claims from derisive sections of social media that Salah is the problem are quite simply nonsensical. Yes, the 32-year-old flattered to deceive against both PSG and Newcastle, but he’s shouldered a hefty burden.
He’s been let down by his forward peers. Aside from the reliable Cody Gakpo, Liverpool’s frontline have toiled since the turn of the calendar year, with Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz particularly letting their team down with collective profligacy in front of goal.
Mohamed Salah
17 (17)
12
5
Cody Gakpo
13 (9)
5
1
Luis Diaz
18 (15)
1
2
Diogo Jota
14 (9)
2
1
Darwin Nunez
16 (4)
3
4
Federico Chiesa
5 (2)
2
1
The wear-and-tear of so many injuries over so many years are finally taking their toll on Jota, with the 28-year-old’s fitness troubles and new depletion of potency even leading Sky Germany to suggest he is among the potential sales this summer.
Should Jota follow Nunez – expected to leave – out of the door, Liverpool will need to move with conviction for a new centre-forward.
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But they might not need to sign a second, not when one of the most exciting young number nines is pushing for more opportunities to impress at Anfield.
Prolific teen could end Jota's Liverpool career
Liverpool have eked every ounce of quality from Jota, 28, but is the current campaign a sign he’s reached the end of his powers? Maybe it is time for FSG to launch a statement bid on an elite striker such as Alexander Isak.
Isak could become a genuine superstar on Merseyside, and while a deal for the Sweden star would cost in excess of £150m, Liverpool could find the perfect understudy in young Jayden Danns, who is already on the books.
Danns was handed a first-team debut by Jurgen Klopp last season, scoring a brace in the FA Cup for the injury-hit Reds against Southampton and making his mark in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup final, playing through extra-time and making a menace of himself, forcing two saves and completing a snaking dribble, as per Sofascore.
The 2024/25 campaign has perhaps not had the acceleratory effect that Danns would have hoped for. Injuries have limited him to just three games, albeit starting in the Champions League against PSV.
But the future is bright. Premier League-pushing Sunderland signed the 19-year-old on loan in the winter but fitness problems have kept him shackled in the infirmary, with it revealed last month that it’s unlikely he will make an appearance before the summer spells the end of the prospective move.
When Klopp left last summer, the different levels of Liverpool’s structure entered uncharted territory. What would become of ‘Klopp’s kids,’ an academy reaching new levels of productivity in the later years of the German’s tenure?
Well, Slot is a firm believer in giving talented players opportunities to impress, regardless of their age. With a background in academy coaching, Liverpool’s talent factory will see new names emerge onto the major stage in the years to come.
In Danns’ case, he’s already been given a chance to impress his new coach this season, firing true when called from the bench in the FA Cup against Accrington Stanley, marking his third Liverpool goal from just nine appearances as a professional.
When Jota’s at his best, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more clinical ball-striker. Last season, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even proclaimed the Portuguese to be “the best finisher” to have performed for Anfield’s crowd across the Premier League era. Bold claim, but Jota’s rate of scoring has typically been a thing to behold – just not under Slot’s management, it seems.
Danns might not yet have the record to boast a scoring ability beyond that of his Iberian teammate, but all three of his goals for the men’s team thus far have been taken with a certain verve and composure that many forwards cannot boast a natural grasp.
Nunez, regrettably, falls into that bracket. In fact, analyst Ben Mattinson actually described Danns as “a better finisher than Nunez” after his well-taken strike against Accrington in January.
A natural-born goalscorer with slick and clever movements, Danns is an instinctive player, one who could play a significant part in Liverpool’s football over the coming years.
Slot has already sought to hand the prospect a smattering of chances throughout the campaign despite his being sidelined for much of it. Maybe more waiting will have to ensue, but if Danns can produce a promising pre-season performance for the Reds, he might just find himself enjoying a role of greater importance next year, especially if the likes of Jota or Nunez are sold.
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